It is also known as a stroke, a solidus, a forward slash and several other historical or technical names. Once used to mark periods and commas, the slash is now used to represent division and fractions, exclusive 'or' and inclusive 'or', and as a date separator. / Slash or solidus.

It is sometimes called a hack, whack, escape (from C/UNIX), reverse slash, slosh, downwhack, backslant, backwhack, bash, reverse slant, reverse solidus, and reversed virgule.

A slash is used in text to separate alternatives (good/evil) and to separate lines of poetry (Roses are red / Violets are blue / It's not a backslash / Really? Who knew?). When used for poetry, there is a space before and after the slash. Other common uses include 24/7, meaning all day, every day.

Slash – Meaning and Definition The Collins Dictionary defines a slash as “a short diagonal line (/) used between two words to show that either is applicable (and/or), in dates or fractions (3/8), to express “per” (feet/ second), etc.”